Cape League player profile: Meet Bourne's Jaron Long

Monday

Jul 15, 2013 at 12:01 AMJul 15, 2013 at 3:10 PM

Career Notes: Currently one of the top pitchers in the league, with a 3-0 record to go along with a 0.56 ERA. Tied the team lead with more than 100 innings pitched at Ohio State this season, earning a 4.02 ERA and a 6-7 record. In 2012, Long was the Buckeyes top pitcher, going 6-2, with a team best 2.66 ERA in 101 innings pitched.

Accolades: In 2012, named first team All-Big Ten, ranked 17th nationally with 1.15 walks allowed per nine innings. At Cactus Shadows H.S., named Desert Sky Conference Pitcher of the Year.

Staff reports

Jaron Long

Position: P

Team: Bourne Braves

Age: 21

Height: 6’1

Weight: 185

Bats: R

Throws: R

Hometown: Scottsdale, AZ

School: Ohio State

Year: Junior

Career Notes: Currently one of the top pitchers in the league, with a 3-0 record to go along with a 0.56 ERA. Tied the team lead with more than 100 innings pitched at Ohio State this season, earning a 4.02 ERA and a 6-7 record. In 2012, Long was the Buckeyes top pitcher, going 6-2, with a team best 2.66 ERA in 101 innings pitched.

Accolades: In 2012, named first team All-Big Ten, ranked 17th nationally with 1.15 walks allowed per nine innings. At Cactus Shadows H.S., named Desert Sky Conference Pitcher of the Year.

How did it feel to beat Orleans in the top of the 12th last week?

It’s awesome. We’ve been struggling, we’ve lost our last four, so to get it in that solid fashion… we hit a big homerun in the top of the 12th with two outs and then we were able to slam it down with the bases loaded.

You’ve been dominant so far in the Cape League. What do you think accounts for your performance?

It helps that I pitched here last year, so it just kind of gave me a reference of the league. I’m really motivated and I’m excited to be back here in Bourne.

What’s your favorite pitch to throw up here, and what do you think makes it so dominant?

I like the changeup. It’s just something that has so much deception and it can really make your fastball a lot better. So the changeup is definitely my favorite pitch.

How does the talent that you’re facing in the Cape League compare with the talent that you play against in the Big Ten with Ohio State?

It just has to do with pretty much everybody’s best player. You know, maybe someone’s a leadoff hitter at school, and now they’re batting ninth, or is a 3 hitter at school and now he’s batting sixth… It’s every team’s best players, so the competition is definitely really good.

Your dad is the hitting coach of the New York Yankees. Did you spend a lot of time around professional baseball growing up?

Every summer when I would finish school I would go out and stay with my dad… I just grew up around the game and that’s where I got my love and passion for it.

Do you have any good memories from being around pro teams?

Yeah. Probably the best memory is when the Yankees won the 2009 World Series. I was at game six when they won, so that was something very memorable.